Habronema is a parasite often found in equids. Habronema larvae cause habronemiasis – a parasitic infection also known as summer sores that affects working horses and donkeys. Although it can affect working animals all over the world, habronemiasis is mostly found in temperate and tropical climates, especially in countries where SPANA works.
Habronemiasis can be excruciating for horses and donkeys, so it’s important to know the symptoms of summer sores, how to treat summer sores and how to maintain good skin health in working animals.
What are summer sores?
Habronemiasis is a parasitic infection transmitted by flies that can affect the area around the eyes, mouth and any wound of a working animal.
The infection causes small but incredibly itchy sores to develop, which can be extremely painful and irritating for working horses, donkeys and mules. If working animals try to relieve their discomfort by rubbing their faces against objects such as trees and fences, this can increase the irritation, lead to further complications such as conjunctivitis, or cause injury to their faces and eyes. That’s why it’s so important to recognise the symptoms of habronemiasis and to seek professional veterinary care as soon as possible.
Symptoms of summer sores
The symptoms of habronemiasis can vary from mild to severe. They can include, but are not limited to:
- Sores around an animal’s eyes and/or mouth
- Non-healing wounds
- Discharge
- The animal rubbing their face at every opportunity; for example, on fence posts
- Yellow sulphur granules visible in the wound
How to treat summer sores
Thankfully, habronemiasis can be treated with anti-parasitic medication and managed by following some simple preventative measures.
When SPANA vets encounter a working horse or donkey with habronemiasis, they will examine the animal carefully, then administer an anti-parasitic medication called Ivermectin to kill the adult worms found in the intestine and the larvae found on the skin.
Next, they will gently clean and debride the animal’s wounded and infected skin. Our vets will then use a topical treatment on the animal’s wounds and administer systemic anti-inflammatories for pain relief and to reduce inflammation. If the wounds are infected, antibiotics will also be given. Finally, the vets will advise the owner to rest their animal and to keep their sores clean while they are healing.
Sadly, our vets treat many working animals with habronemiasis every year. For example, in Tunisia, our vets were on hand to help Ziad the horse when he had habronemiasis.. They also helped a working mule called Beji with the same painful eye condition.
Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, our vets successfully treated Bora the horse and showed his owner, Teklay, how to prevent Bora from suffering from habronemiasis in future.
How to maintain good skin health in donkeys and horses
It is important to maintain good skin health in donkeys and horses. To prevent habronemiasis from returning, SPANA vets will advise the owners on how best to care for their animals.
SPANA also provides training in areas where habronemiasis is common by holding community training sessions and displaying posters at our mobile veterinary clinics so that owners can find out more about the infection and how to protect their animals.
Another effective preventative measure for habronemiasis is to keep flies away from animals. Although this can be difficult, successful measures include ensuring that an animal’s shelter is cleaned regularly and thoroughly.
Crucially, as part of SPANA’s work, our vets provide and fit working animals with special masks and fringes to act as a preventative barrier against flies.
Tackling habronemiasis in Ethiopia
In December 2022, an outbreak of habronemiasis struck working animals in Sheno, a town in central Ethiopia. The outbreak coincided with the start of Ethiopia’s dry season, when the fly population increases dramatically. In one month alone, our veterinary team provided vital care to 600 working animals with habronemiasis. To prevent more working animals from suffering from the infection, our team designed masks using accessible and affordable materials, such as old clothes and mosquito nets, and then trained local communities in how to make and fit them correctly.
Thanks to the compassion of our charity’s supporters, SPANA vets are able to provide working animals with essential treatment for habronemiasis and help the owners of working animals prevent their horses and donkeys from being infected in future.
SPANA provides expert veterinary care to sick and injured working animals, empowers their owners by providing training in good animal welfare and teaches children about the importance of working animals, all so that we can achieve a long-term, sustainable transformation in the welfare of working animals. If you’re interested in supporting SPANA, learn how you can get involved.